Roger Meiners

Senior Fellow

An economist and lawyer, Roger Meiners defends the superiority of the common law–legal traditions developed through the courts–over federal regulation. In his view, the success of markets is intertwined with the common laws strong protection for property rights. Common law protects the environment by allowing individuals to take action against trespass and nuisance affecting the enjoyment of their properties. It empowers individuals and decentralizes decisions. In contrast, centralized regulations concentrate power and tend to apply a one-size-fits-all solution to a multitude of problems.

He and PERC Fellow Andrew Morriss have written several papers on the mining industry, including articles published in Environmental Law and Administrative Law Review.

He received his law degree from the University of Miami and his Ph.D. in economics from Virginia Tech, where he was strongly influenced by public choice economists James Buchanan, Gordon Tullock, and Richard Wagner. He is currently Goolsby Distinguished Professor of Economics and Law at the University of Texas at Arlington and is Chairman of the Department of Economics. He was previously on the faculty at Clemson University, Emory University, and Texas A&M University. He also served as the director of the Federal Trade Commission office in Atlanta.

Roger lives with his wife Cary, a high school administrator, in Fort Worth, Texas. He has four children in various stages of higher education.